85 and 90 Solaia

Dinner at Caprice.

Armand de Brignac Brut Gold - yeasty, quite nice on the palate.  Interestingly there was acidity on the nose, and later on also became slightly more acidic on the palate.

1990 Antinori Solaia - decanted for an hour prior to serving. Smoky, lovely fruit, a bit of maturity here, plummy, cool fruit, with a hint of grass.  Acidity started to come out later, but still a powerful wine.  Especially beautiful and open when first served.

1985 Antinori Solaia - decanted for an hour prior to serving. Initially a little more dried out and grippy on the palate, but opened up nicely.  So fragrant with nice smoked meat notes.  Became softer on the palate after an hour in glass.  Absolutely beautiful 2½ hours after the first pour.  A stunning wine!

1952 Clos de Nouys Moelleux - really honeyed nose.  Rich with acetone.  Still kinda dry and very nutty on the palate.  Marmalade and pear notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

MNSC Dinner - Amuse Bouche

MNSC dinner for Dr. Poon's 50th at Amuse Bouche.

Wines for the MNSC tasting portion:

Flight 1: opened 1½ hours prior to serving.

1947 Mouton-Rothschild - very smoky nose, a bit minty, with a hint of sweet grass and a little stinky and bretty.  92 points.

1948 Mouton-Rothschild - pungent, smoky, with toasty notes and a little coffee.  93 points.

Flight 2: opened more than 1½ hours prior to serving.

1952 Petrus - more elegant and focused, with sweet fruit but a hint of medicinal notes.  A little savory with mineral and soy sauce.  94 points.

1962 Petrus, ex-château - beautiful nose, toasty, some fruit here but not too ripe, along with pencil lead and coffee.  A little more cloudy.  96 points.

Flight 3: opened 2 hours prior to serving.

1967 Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze - nose really fragrant and beautiful, with a little toast and a bit of forest.  95 points.

1967 Ponsot Clos de la Roche - also very fragrant, more grassy but still fruity.  94 points.

Flight 4:

1981 DRC Romanée-St-Vivant - elegant with a little floral and a little leather notes.  97 points.

1981 Henri Jayer Echezeaux - much more dusty in terms of the nose, but also more floral and fruity later after more aeration.  95 points.

Flight 5: opened as an afterthought and decanted 45 minutes prior to serving.

1959 Mouton-Rothschild - minty, savory, smoky and meaty, with a hint of brett.  Slightly sharp alcohol.  94 points.

1959 La Mission Haut-Brion - very minty, smoky, a little earthy, and a little stinky...  Very savory with lots of soy sauce.  94 points.

Other wines tasting during the evening:

2002 Louis Roederer Cristal, en magnum - pretty toasty.  Nice and ripe on the palate.  Easy to drink.

Jacques Selosse Version Originale, dégorgée le 10 Novembre 2009 - definitely bigger nose than the Cristal, with sharper acidity in the nose, along with caramelized notes.  Almost a little too ripe on the palate.

1997 Salon - very lovely and ready to drink.

1967 Lafleur, en magnum - very savory nose.  My glass  had lots of sediment.

1978 Cheval Blanc, en magnum - opened for 2 hours.  Lots of smoke, coffee, and cedar notes.  Beautiful.

1967 La Conseillante - a little pungent and smoky.

1976 Mouton-Rothschild, en magnum - minty, smoky, and a little earthy.

1995 Kistler Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen - a little flinty with plenty of toast.  Ripe but not too much.  Fucking beautiful.

1976 Jaboulet La Chapelle, en magnum - smoky, a bit of animal, minty.  Lovely.

1999 Robert Groffier Bonnes Mares - soooo ripe and sweet on the nose, almost like Robitussin or some other cherry-flavored cough syrup...

Full post on dinner is here.

Mixed bag for Cantonese

Dinner at a private dining facility.

2012 Roses de Jeanne Côte de Val Vilaine Blanc de Noirs, dégorgée à Avril 2014 - delicious, smooth and round on the palate.

2011 Keller Westhofen Brunnenhäuschen Absterde Riesling trocken - classic nose of minerals, white flowers and plastic.  Definitely dry on the palate.

1952 Borgogno Barolo Riserva - initial nose of sweet fruit, followed by tea, salty plum, minerals, and smoke.  Still alive and kicking.

2010 Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 30 - ripe nose with wonderful notes of forest and potpourri.  So fragrant and beautiful.

1995 Jos. Joh. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - classic notes of minerals and plastic, with good amount of sweetness on the palate.  Very round and smooth.

Valdespino Solera 1842 Medium Sweet Very Old Oloroso Blend VOS - classic, with nose that's like Shaoxing wine after soaking some salty plum in it.  Wonderful.

Full post on dinner is here.

Italians old to new

Dinner at Messina.

2004 Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux - ripe on the palate.  A little grassy, lemon, flinty, sweet.  Opened up very nicely.

Jacques Selosse Version Originale - very ripe on the nose and palate.  Caramelized sugar and a little salty plum in the nose.

1999 Gaja Gaia and Rey - really ripe and sweet on the nose, with plenty of vanilla, and a little toasty oak.  Wonderfully buttery once it opened up.

1952 Borgogno Barolo Riserva - minty, pine needle, a little alcoholic at first, smoky, tar, and plummy.  Not bad at all.

1964 Mascarello Barolo Riserva - much more plummy, sweeter, leather, lots of pine needle, potpourri, dried herbs, almost a hint of coffee, a little savory soy sauce and minerals.  Drinking beautifully.

1971 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - served 30 minutes after opening.  A little savory, still young and tight, alcoholic, minty.  After 1½ hours opened up a little more, showing farmy and leather notes, but the acidity had gotten too high.

2004 Tua Rita Redigaffi - decanted for 3 hours before drinking.  A total fruit bomb with tons of coconut butter, vanilla, a little coffee, jammy, really sweet and exotic.

Full post on dinner is here.

MNSC dinner - Derby Room

MNSC annual dinner at the Derby Room.

1943 La Mission Haut-Brion

1952 La Mission Haut-Brion

1970 Giscours

1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V.

1976 Jayer-Gilles Vosne-Romanée